Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Malcolm Byrne for raising this issue. I know he has a great interest in this area and all new and emerging technologies. As alluded to by the Senator, in July last year, the Taoiseach and I launched AI - Here for Good: A National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for Ireland. The strategy sets out how Ireland can be an international leader in using Al to benefit our economy and society, through a people-centred, ethical approach to its development, adoption and use, as the Senator said. It presents an integrated framework to manage the expected beneficial socioeconomic opportunities that Al presents. We have paid particular attention to the ethical and societal aspects of Al, highlighting both the benefits and possible risks of Al technologies.

The national strategy is aligned with the evolving EU and OECD policy direction of ensuring both an ecosystem of excellence and an ecosystem of trust. The strategy is in favour of a governance and regulatory framework that avoids setting unnecessary barriers to responsible innovation. At the same time, the governance and regulatory framework needs to be robust enough that it can build trust in the ethical use of Al.

On a regulatory front, work is under way at European level on an Al Act, which will set harmonised rules for the development, placement on the market and use of Al systems. Crucial to this is a proportionate risk-based approach. Certain particularly harmful Al practices are prohibited as contravening European Union values, while specific restrictions and safeguards are proposed on certain uses in areas such as recruitment, health, welfare and law enforcement, including remote biometric identification systems.

Al applications, such as facial recognition technology, may have a role to play, for example, in some specific cases of law enforcement.However, it is my firm belief we need to have regulatory structures in place to ensure its safe deployment.

As the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, AI, becomes clearer, so too do the risks posed by the use of unethical, unsafe or insecure AI systems. That is why we need to have clear direction with safeguards and ethical governance in place to make sure AI is used and deployed securely and in a manner that is fair, transparent and builds public trust.

My Department and I continue to engage across Government, including with the Department of Justice and with our European counterparts, to ensure a risk-based approach is adopted for the adoption, deployment and use of AI and to ensure the commitment of ethical and trustworthy AI is upheld.

From my Department's perspective, I would like to highlight some of the deliverables in the strategy that have been implemented since the launch. As AI becomes more and more part of our daily lives, it is important public trust, knowledge and engagement with AI is built and maintained. To that end, I appointed an AI ambassador who will lead a national conversation to ensure we demystify AI but also to make sure everybody is aware and understands the great opportunities and benefits AI can bring to society and to the economy.

I also appointed an Enterprise Digital Advisory Forum, which will support and advise Government in driving the digitalisation of enterprise across Ireland, including the uptake of AI by businesses. The Senator mentioned the digital fund we announced a few weeks ago. Officials in my Department are working with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Inclusion and Youth and planning a national youth assembly on AI to ensure our youth have an input in the future direction of AI.

Last month CeADAR, the centre for AI and applied data analytics, took another step closer to becoming a designated European digital innovation hub, which will serve as the national first-stop shop for AI transformation in SMEs and public organisations. Last month, the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, and I welcomed the publication of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, to which the Senator alluded. Much good work is being done to ensure the strategy does not stay on the shelf, that we implement it and take the full benefits of the opportunities this transformative technology presents.